The IDC InfoBrief, released on 15 September 2026, surveyed technology leaders across global enterprises to understand how governance, risk and compliance considerations are shaping technology investment as organisations scale AI and cloud programmes.
UK findings show mounting pressure: 29% of UK organisations now treat digital sovereignty as a top or high priority, and 27% rank it among the leading drivers of technology investment. Security and privacy concerns remain the most cited barrier to AI adoption at 58%, while 56% of UK technology leaders worry AI could introduce new security risks for their businesses.
Commercial pressure is also shifting the calculation. More than a quarter of UK businesses (26%) report that customer or partner demands to localise data are now influencing their approach to data sovereignty, suggesting the issue has moved beyond compliance teams and into commercial negotiations.
Regional variation is notable. Enterprises in APAC place the highest global priority on digital sovereignty at 38%, ahead of Europe at 31% and the United States at 30%. The UK, within the European figure, faces particular complexity from operating across multiple cloud providers and regulatory jurisdictions following Brexit.
Ben Elms, CEO of Expereo, said: "Digital sovereignty is increasingly being driven by a desire for greater control over how data moves across cloud, network and AI environments. As many UK businesses operate across multiple providers and jurisdictions, they are focusing not only on where data is stored, but also on how it moves between them. This is placing greater emphasis on network visibility and routing transparency."
Elms added that a sovereignty strategy without a corresponding network strategy is becoming untenable. "Delivering on digital sovereignty requires network, cloud, security, governance and data management strategies to work together, helping organisations meet regulatory requirements while enabling innovation and growth."
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